Trips to Guatemala

PETEN

The department of Petén is located in the North region of Guatemala. It limits the north with Mexico; to the south with the departments of Izabal and Alta Verapaz; to the east with Belize; and to the west with Mexico.

Its climate is warm and tropical, and its extensive territory is considered like one of the lungs of the planet, due to its ebullient vegetation.  Its departmental head is City Flowers, that are in an island. 

There are protected zones, like the Reserve of the Mayan Biosphere, with more of a million hectares of humid subtropical forest, besides the Biotope Cahuí Hill (for the protection of the ocelado turkey) and of the Natural Reserve San Miguel the Palotada (for the conservation of the bat). It enjoys a rich variety of vegetation of tropical forest and around 250 animal species.

The Petén is considered the cradle of the great Mayan culture and keeps great archaeological treasures like the old Mayan cities of the Viewpoint, Nakbé. Two Pilas, Tikal (the greatest large city of the Mayans) Azul River, Ceibal, Cival, San Bartolo, Black Uaxactún, Stones, Aguateca, the Naranjo, Ceibal, Yaxhá and many more.

In addition it owns incomparable and countless natural beauties like grottos of Jobtzinaj, as well as Naj Tunich, the cave that initiated the interest by the Mayan Caves, between the archeologists. The lake of Petén Itza, the Lagoons of Yaxhá and Sacnab are of great beauty; without mentioning its majestic and crystalline rivers that wind by all the virgin forest of this green department.

Its attractive tourist main one is the National Park Tikal, site that lodges the famous city of Tikal, in that are located two museums: the one of Wakes (with retorts of these carved stones) and the Sylvanus Morley, that exhibits objects of ceramics, bone, stone, shell and jade.

The artisan work of its settlers concentrates in the manufacture of mocasines (shoes of leather or animal skin of the place), although also make utensils of mud and clay.

Presumably, Courteous Hernán was the first foreigner who, during his trip to Honduras, entered the petenero territory.  One thinks that general Martin de Ursúa and Arismendi conquered Petén, and then, in the name of the King of Spain, he took possession from this territory the 14 of March of 1697.  Priests of the Company of Jesus instilled to him to Mayan the catholic religion.  At the beginning of century XVIII, the island of Flowers was declared capital of Petén and Island of the Remedies of the Itzá was denominated to him.  Later, town was declared and Petén Itzá was called to him.  Finally, was denominated it as at the moment it is known him: City Flowers. 

The name of this department comes from the word “petenes”, name that the native ones gave the islands.  Also full country” or “flat earth” can be translated like “. Besides the Spanish language, their inhabitants speak the languages quekchí, mopán and itzá.